Apparatus for automatically feeding work to a centerless grinder

ABSTRACT

Work pieces are automatically fed into grinding position on a work-support blade between the grinding wheel and the regulating wheel of a centerless grinder by a work-gripping apparatus to which the work pieces are fed by a first air cylinder. A second air cylinder closes the work-gripping apparatus onto a work piece and other air cylinder means moves the gripped piece into position adjacent the work-support blade and then releases the piece onto the blade. The work-gripping apparatus is mounted for travel in a plane forming a suitable acute angle with the worksupporting plane of the work-support blade so that the workgripping apparatus finds clearance above the working nip of the wheels.

nited States Mei 1151 3,669,99 y 1 1 my 9, 72

[541 APPARATUS FOR AUTOTICALLY 1,814,362 7/1931 Booth ..s1/21s cw x FEEDIN WORK o A CENTERLESS 1,891,661 12/1932 Binns ..s1/1os R GRINDER Primary Examiner- -Lester M. Swingle [72] Inventor: Douglas L. Thayer, I622 llth Street, Attorney-Max E. Shirk Manhattan Beach, Calif. 90266 [22] Filed: June 1, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT Work pieces are automatically fed into grinding position on a [2]] Appl work-support blade between the grinding wheel and the regulating wheel of a centerless grinder by a work-gripping ap- 52 us. c1. ..511/103 wn, 51/215 H Paratus to which the Work Pieces are fed y a first air Cylinder- 51 1 rm. (:1 .3241; 5/18 A Second air cylinder 919895 the work-gripping apparatus onto [53] Field of Search 51/103 w 103 R 103 TF7 215 R a work piece and other air cylinder means moves the gripped 51 [2'5 CF 215 H piece into position adjacent the work-support blade and then releases the piece onto the blade. The work-gripping ap- [561 References Cited paratus is mounted for travel in a plane forming a suitable acute angle with the work-supporting plane of the work-supl E STATES PATENTS port blade so that the work-gripping apparatus finds clearance above the working nip of the wheels. 1,722,386 7/1929 Norton ..5l/l03 TF 1,733,863 10/1929 Caster ..51/l03 WH l2 Ciairns,3Drawlng Figures 1 56 1 '6 x 82 lo 80 79 74 V I, l I "I" '48 o I 5O 2 Y v38 432 44 \s 2 14 4 Y ;7 6

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PATENTEDMAY 9 I972 Fig. 2.

Douglas L. Thoyer,

INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The background of the invention will be set forth in two parts.

1. Field of the Invention The invention relates generally to the field of machines which perform work upon pieces fed to the machine and more particularly to apparatus for automatically feeding work to a centerless grinder.

2. Description of the Prior Art A centerless grinder is adapted to grind small parts and includes a grinding wheel, a regulating wheel and a work-support blade positioned between the wheels.

One method of feeding work pieces to the centerless grinder is for a workman to grip the pieces between his forefinger and thumb and drop them into position on the work-support blade after a preceeding piece has been ground by the grinding wheel and dropped from the work-support blade through a suitable opening or notch provided in the regulating wheel.

While generally satisfactory, this method of feeding work pieces to a centerless grinder has certain disadvantages. One disadvantage resides in the fact that the workman must use considerable care not to engage his hand against the grinding wheel or other parts of the grinder. Another disadvantage resides in the fact that it is fairly expensive to hire a workman for feeding work pieces to a centerless grinder and the workers efficiency drops as he becomes fatigued.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing factors and conditions characteristic of manual methods for feeding work pieces to a centerless grinder, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and useful apparatus for automatically feeding work to a centerless grinder.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a gripper means for gripping work pieces and feeding them to a centerless grinder in a manner similar to that employed by a workman feeding the pieces manually.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for automatically feeding work to a centerless grinder which includes gripper means for gripping work pieces, means for feeding the parts into position in the gripper means and means for releasing the parts from the gripper means onto a support blade mounted between the grinding wheel and the regulating wheel on a centerless grinder.

According to the present invention, a new and useful apparatus is provided for automatically feeding work to a centerless grinder of the type which includes a grinding wheel, a regulating wheel and a work-support blade positioned between the wheels.

The feeding apparatus feeds parts into grinding position on the work-support blade by means of a gripper means which grips the parts in much the same manner that parts are gripped by the human hand. The device includes apparatus for feeding the parts into position in the gripper and a releasing mechanism for releasing the parts from the gripper onto the work-support blade. The work-gripping apparatus is mounted for travel in a plane forming a suitable acute angle with the work-supporting plane of the work-support blade so that the work-gripping apparatus finds clearance above the working nip of the wheels. Suitable air cylinder means are employed for moving the work-gripping apparatus in this plane. Other air cylinders are employed for releasing the work pieces from the work-gripping apparatus onto the work-support blade and for retracting the work-gripping apparatus to a work-receiving position where other parts are fed into the work-gripping apparatus.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters refer to like elements in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an apparatus for automatically feeding work to a centerless grinder constituting a presently preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial end view of the apparatus of FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a somewhat schematic view of a typical valve for controlling the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring again to the drawings, an apparatus for automatically feeding work to a centerless grinder constituting a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, generally designated 10, is shown in combination with a centerless grinder 12 including a grinding wheel, shown in broken lines at 14, a regulating wheel 16 and a work-support blade 18. Work-support blade 18 includes a work-supporting surface 20 lying in a substantially horizontal plane and is affixed by a plurality of bolts to a rigid arm 24 forming part of centerless grinder 12.

Work-feeding apparatus 10 includes a first air cylinder 26 affixed to an extension 24a of arm 24 and including a piston rod 30 extending over a suitable loading block 32 mounted on arm 24. A work-gripping member 34 is carried by a first end 36 of rod 30 and a piston 38 is carried by another end 40 of rod 30. Air cylinder 26 is of the double-acting type having a first air inlet-outlet 41 downstream of piston 38 and a second air inlet-outlet 42 upstream thereof for reciprocating workgripping member 34. Air cylinder 26 lies in a plane forming an acute angle with the plane of surface 20 on blade 18 so that member 34 may position work pieces on surface 20 while finding clearance above the working nip of wheels I4, 16. One acute angle which has been found to be satisfactory is approximately 15.

Work-gripping member 34 includes a head 44 to which an L-shaped arm 46 is affixed for swingably supporting a bifurcated, work-gripping finger 48 by means of a suitable pivot pin 50. Finger 48 is connected to arm 46 with a sufficient friction fit that finger 48 will remain in an open position, as indicated in broken lines in FIG. I, when swung thereto by a second, double-acting air cylinder 52 affixed to a suitable support 54 by a bracket 56 adjacent wheels l4, l6. Cylinder 52 includes a piston rod 58 which may be reciprocated by air supplied through a first inlet-outlet 60 and a second inlet-outlet 62. Air cylinder 52 comes into play after work-gripping member 34 is moved to the left, as viewed in FIG. I, by air cylinder 26 for positioning a work piece 64 over surface 20 on work-support blade 18, to swing finger 48 to its broken line position and release work piece 64 onto support 20. This may be accomplished by pressurizing inlet-outlet 60 and exhausting inletoutlet 62 causing rod 58 to move to the right, as viewed in FIG. 1. Air cylinder 26 may then be energized by pressurizing inlet'outlet 42 while simultaneously exhausting inlet-outlet 40 causing rod 30 to move to the right, as viewed in FIG. I,

retracting work-gripping member 34 to the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 1 adjacent a loading magazine 66 which feeds another work piece 64 into position between finger 48 and head 44.

A piston rod 74 on a third double-acting air cylinder 76 is then caused to move to the left, as viewed in FIG. I, engaging a pusher 79 against finger 48 for moving it to the solid line position shown in FIG. 1. This is accomplished by pressurizing a first inlet-outlet 78 and exhausting a second inlet-outlet 80 on cylinder 76. During movement of work-gripping member 34 to the left for positioning work piece 64 over work-support blade 18, piston rod 74 may be moved to the right, as viewed in FIG. I, by pressurizing inlet-outlet 80 while simultaneously exhausting inlet-outlet 78 so that rod 74 will be ready to perform its next working stroke to the left for closing finger 48 on another work piece 64.

Regulating wheel 16 regulates the feeding of work piece 64 into grinding wheel 14 and is provided with a suitable notch 82 through which work piece 64 drops at the end of the grinding operation.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that air cylinders 52 and 76 will also be provided with pistons like the one shown at 38 for the air cylinder 26 and that suitable automatic controls, not shown, may be used to control the flow of air to the air cylinders.

Cylinders 26, 52 and 76 may each be controlled by a valve of the type shown at 88 in FIG. 3 for the cylinder 76. This valve may comprise a lower spool 90 and an upper spool 92 each having a rotatable port 94 connected together by a suitable shaft, as indicated by the broken line 96, so that rotation of the upper port 94 by a suitable actuating lever 98 will also rotate the lower port 94. Upper spool 92 includes an inlet port 100, which may be connected to a suitable air supply (not shown) and an outlet port 102 which is vented to atmosphere. Lower spool 90 includes an inlet port 104, which may be connected to a suitable source of air under pressure (not shown), and an outlet port 106, which may be vented to atmosphere. Ports 100, 102, 104 and 106 are located in their associated spools 92, 90 in such positions that, when lever 98 is turned to communicate inlet port 100 with inlet-outlet line 78, port 94 in spool 90 will automatically communicate exhaust port 106 with inlet-outlet line 80. Conversely, when lever 98 is swung to communicate port 94 with exhaust port 102, port 94 will also communicate with inlet-outlet 78 and port 94 in spool 90 will automatically communicate inlet port 104 in spool 90 with inlet-outlet 80 on cylinder 76.

Operation of the device will be readily understood. Work pieces 64 maybe fed to work-gripping member 34 by loading magazine 66 while finger 48 is in its open, broken-line position. Lever 98 on valve 88 may then be moved to the position shown in FIG. 3 pressurizing inlet-outlet 78 and exhausting inlet-outlet 80 so that rod 74 will move to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1, closing finger 48 for clamping work piece 64 against head 44.

The valve 88 for cylinder 26 may then be actuated to exhaust inlet-outlet 42 while simultaneously pressurizing inletoutlet 40 for moving rod 30 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1, causing work support member 34 to position work piece 64 above work-support blade 18.

The valve 88 for cylinder 52 may then be actuated placing inlet-outlet 62 in communication with atmosphere and pressurizing inlet-outlet 60 causing rod 58 to move to the right, as viewed in FIG. 1, for opening finger 48 thereby releasing work piece 64 so that it will drop onto surface 20 of work-support blade 18.

The valve 88 for cylinder 52 may then be actuated to exhaust inlet-outlet 60 while simultaneously pressurizing inletoutlet 62 causing rod 58 to move to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1, and the valve 88 for cylinder 76 may be actuated to exhaust inlet-outlet 78 while simultaneously pressurizing inlet-outlet 80 causing rod 74 to move to the right, as viewed in FIG. 1. The valve 88 for cylinder 26 may then be actuated exhausting inlet-outlet 40 while simultaneously pressurizing inlet-outlet 42 causing rod 30 to move to the right, as viewed in FIG. 1, and return work-gripping member 34 to its FIG. 1 solid-line position.

While the particular apparatus for automatically feeding work to a centerless grinder herein shown and described for purposes of illustration but not of limitation is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown and described other than as defined by the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. In combination with a centerless grinder adapted to grind work pieces and including a grinding wheel, a regulating wheel and a work-support blade positioned between said wheels, a device for feeding said work pieces into grinding position on said blade between said wheels, comprising:

gripper means for gripping said work pieces;

feeder means for feeding said work pieces into position in said gripper means; and

means for releasing said work pieces from said gripper means onto said work-support blade between said wheels, said gripper means including means for holding said work pieces in a predetermined attitude, whereby said work pieces will fall onto said blade in a proper position.

2. A feeding device as stated in claim 1 including means for reciprocating said gripper means with respect to said blade.

3. In an automatic feeder for feeding work pieces into position on a work-support blade including pusher means for pushing said work pieces onto said blade and feeding means for feeding said work pieces into position in said pusher means, the improvement comprising:

gripper means on said pusher means for gripping said work pieces during movement of said pusher means toward said blade, said gripper means including means for holding said work pieces in a predetermined attitude, whereby said work pieces will fall onto said blade in a proper position.

4. The automatic feeder as stated in claim 3 including feeder means for feeding said work pieces into position on said gripper means.

5. The automatic feeder as stated in claim 3 wherein said work-support blade is positioned between a grinding wheel and a regulating wheel on a centerless grinder, wherein said work-support blade has a work-supporting surface positioned in a substantially horizontal plane and wherein said gripper means moves in a plane forming a predetermined acute angle with said horizontal plane.

6. The automatic feeder as stated in claim 5 wherein said predetermined acute angle is approximately l5.

7. A device for feeding work pieces into position on a worksupport blade having a work-supporting surface lying in a predetermined plane, comprising:

a rod reciprocably mounted for reciprocation in a plane above said work-supporting surface and forming a predetermined acute angle therewith;

means for mounting said rod adjacent said work-support blade; and

means for reciprocating said rod from a work-piece receiving position adjacent said blade to a work-piece discharge position adjacent said work-supporting surface.

8. A device as stated in claim 7 wherein said rod is a piston rod in a double-acting fluid cylinder.

9. A device as stated in claim 7 wherein said rod carries gripper means for gripping said work pieces.

10. A device as stated in claim 9 wherein said rod is a piston rod in a double-acting fluid cylinder and wherein said worksupporting blade is mounted between a grinding wheel and a regulating wheel on a centerless grinder.

11. A device as stated in claim 10 including means for releasing said gripper means when said rod is positioned adjacent said work-supporting surface.

12. A device as stated in claim 11 including means for feeding said work pieces into position in said gripper means when said rod is at said work-piece receiving station.

i i I t 

1. In combination with a centerless grinder adapted to grind work pieces and including a grinding wheel, a regulating wheel and a work-support blade positioned between said wheels, a device for feeding said work pieces into grinding position on said blade between said wheels, comprising: gripper means for gripping said work pieces; feeder means for feeding said work pieces into position in said gripper means; and means for releasing said work pieces from said gripper means onto said work-support blade between said wheels, said gripper means including means for holding said work pieces in a predetermined attitude, whereby said work pieces will fall onto said blade in a proper position.
 2. A feeding device as stated in claim 1 including means for reciprocating said gripper means with respect to said blade.
 3. In an automatic feeder for feeding work pieces into position on a work-support blade including pusher means for pushing said work pieces onto said blade and feeding means for feeding said work pieces into position in said pusher means, the improvement comprising: gripper means on said pusher means for gripping said work pieces during movement of said pusher means toward said blade, said gripper means including means for holding said work pieces in a predetermined attitude, whereby said work pieces will fall onto said blade in a proper position.
 4. The automatic feeder as stated in claim 3 including feeder means for feeding said work pieces into position on said gripper means.
 5. The automatic feeder as stated in claim 3 wherein said work-support blade is positioned between a grinding wheel and a regulating wheel on a centerless grinder, wherein said work-support blade has a work-supporting surface positioned in a substantially horizontal plane and wherein said gripper means moves in a plane forming a predetermined acute angle with said horizontal plane.
 6. The automatic feeder as stated in claim 5 wherein said predetermined acute angle is approximately 15* .
 7. A device for feeding work pieces into position on a work-support blade having a work-supporting surface lying in a predetermined plane, comprising: a rod reciprocably mounted for reciprocation in a plane above said work-supporting surface and forming a predetermined acute angle therewith; means for mounting said rod adjacent said work-support blade; and means for reciprocating said rod from a work-piece receiving position adjacent said blade to a work-piece discharge position adjacent said work-supporting surface.
 8. A device as stated in claim 7 wherein said rod is a piston rod in a double-acting fluid cylinder.
 9. A device as stated in claim 7 wherein said rod carries gripper means for gripping said work pieces.
 10. A device as stated in claim 9 wherein said rod is a piston rod in a double-acting fluid cylinder and wherein said work-supportiNg blade is mounted between a grinding wheel and a regulating wheel on a centerless grinder.
 11. A device as stated in claim 10 including means for releasing said gripper means when said rod is positioned adjacent said work-supporting surface.
 12. A device as stated in claim 11 including means for feeding said work pieces into position in said gripper means when said rod is at said work-piece receiving station. 